​Assessment of Education Programs in the Sciences

The DEST (Dental Ethical Sensitivity Test), 1990 Edition. Bebeau, M.J. and Rest, J.R .The DEST assesses Component 1 of the Four Component Model in the context of the profession of dentistry. It is designed to evaluate students’ ability to recognize ethical issues in real-life situations of dentists. The test consists of audiotapes, to which the student tape-records an “on-the-spot” response. Criteria have been developed to judge the student’s sensitivity to special characteristics of the patient and awareness of the needs and interests of others. For discussion of research with this instrument and others especially designed for dentistry, see Bebeau, M. (1994). Influencing the moral dimensions of dental practice. In Rest, J. and Narvaez, D. (eds.), Moral development in the professions (pp. 121-146).Hillsdale, NJ : Erlbaum. Materials include audiotapes, directions for assessment and scoring manual.(Note: Other researchers have modified the DEST to apply to different professions.)

Moral reasoning in Dentistry: Cases for Teaching and Assessment, 1990 Edition. Bebeau, M.J.These materials include a student handout describing criteria for evaluation of moral arguments, seven cases with facilitator notes for leading discussion, and scoring guides for assessment of written arguments. Designed to assess aspects of Component 2 of the Four Component Model. For a discussion of criteria development and sample cases see: Bebeau, M.J. (1994) Influencing the moral dimensions of dental practice. In J.R. Rest and D. Narvaez (eds.), Moral development in the professions (pp. 12 1-146). For a description of improvements in reasoning brought about by successively adding criteria and other elements of effective instruction see Bebeau, M. and Rest, J. (1995) Improving the effectiveness of instruction in ethical reasoning.

Moral Reasoning in Scientific Research: Cases for Teaching and Assessment, 1994. Bebeau, M.J. with Pimple, K.D., Muskavitch, K.M.T., Borden, S.L., Smith, D.H., and Agnew, E. Available from the Poynter Center, 410 North Park Ave., Indiana University. Bloomington , IN 47405 phone (812)855- 0261.Based on earlier work in dentistry, these materials include a student handout describing criteria for evaluating moral arguments, six cases with facilitator notes for leading discussion, scoring guides for assessment of moral reasoning ( Component 2 ), and a manual that provides guidelines for leading discussion.

The Dental Ethical Reasoning and Judgment Test (1997). Bebeau, M. J., and Thoma, S. J. is an example of a measure of “intermediate” concepts. This test is described by the authors in: Bebeau, M., & Thoma, S.J.(1999). “Intermediate” concepts and the connection to moral education. Educational Psychology Review, 11, 343-360. The DERJT consists of five dental dilemmas that assess profession-specific “intermediate concepts.” A respondent rates action choices and justifications and then selects the two best and two worst action choices and the three best and two worst justifications. Scores are determined by calculating the proportion of times that a respondent selects actions and justifications consistent with expert judgment.

The Professional Role Orientation Inventory 1991. Bebeau, M.J., Born, D.O., and Ozar, D.T.This 40-item questionnaire and scoring guide enables dental professionals to conduct a self-assessment of role concept. Assessment of professional role concept is aimed at understanding some dimensions ofComponent 3 of the Four Component Model. Work on the validation of this measure is on-going. For a description of the design of the measure, see Bebeau, M.J., Born, D.O., and Ozar, D.T. (1993) The development of a Professional Role Orientation Inventory. Journal of the American College of Dentists, Vol. 60, No. 2, pp. 27-33.

​Course Materials (Ethics in Dentistry), Revised Edition (1996). Bebeau, M.J.Materials include lecture guide, slides to introduce students to the characteristics that distinguish among professions and the implications for professionalism that follow. Included in this package are Case materials for enhancing ethical sensitivity (Component 1) and ethical implementation processes(Component 4).

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